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Sheriff: 3 suspects chased VFW victim
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Three people charged in the attempted murder of a local businessman outside the VFW last Sunday remain held behind bars awaiting arraignment Tuesday.
The suspects, Jack Redmon, 44, Brooke L. Hale, 33, both of Warren County, and Tracy Dwayne Bouldin, 45, of Putnam County, are all charged with attempted criminal homicide. Hale and Bouldin are being held under $500,000 bond, while Redmon has a $1 million bond. They were arrested Thursday.
They are charged with the attack of Mike Hale, 52, outside the VFW last Sunday afternoon. Hale suffered two stab wounds to his chest and midsection and remains under treatment following surgeries.
“They were all involved in chasing the victim,” Matheny said, explaining why all three are charged as part of the murderous plot. “We believe Jack was the one who stabbed him but they were all responsible for pursing the victim, even after he had been stabbed.”
Authorities believe the attack grew out of a personal issue between Redmon and Mike Hale. Specifically, investigators suspect there was bad blood between the two after Redmon allegedly began dating Hale’s wife, Brooke Hale, who is charged as part of the murder conspiracy.
Redmon’s Facebook posts, taken down shortly after the attack but not before being archived by the Southern Standard, also claim Mike Hale was dating a woman who Redmon had formerly seen, further causing tension between the men.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Redmon rode into the VFW parking lot on his motorcycle with Brooke Hale as his passenger. They were followed by his friend, Bouldin, on another motorcycle. Lawmen believe Redmon ran after Hale upon seeing him in the parking lot and was joined in his chase by the other two defendants.
A spokesperson for the VFW says Redmon tried to pursue the injured victim into the building after stabbing him but he was turned away at the door and the law was called. The attackers mounted their motorcycles and fled the scene but were pulled over a short time later. Redmon’s custom motorcycle has been seized by authorities because it was allegedly used in the commission of a felony.
The suspects will go before General Sessions Judge Bill Locke this Tuesday morning for arraignment. It is expected they will ask for reduction of bail when they appear. They will be given pre-liminary hearing dates when they stand before the court Tuesday. They face eight to 25 years in prison if convicted of the charged offense.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community